Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-12-31
HOfcEIa CulLUs IN.

1t must not be supposed that the
children here have nothing to do but
play. By far the most of the Koreans
can read their own language and a
great many also know the Chinese, so
. that portion of the children's time
must be spent in schools. The schools
here are altogether different from ours
at home. You can always locate one
by the noise as you pass along the
street. Koreans, like Chinese, study
aloud; and some say the louder the
scholars tones, the better student he
is. 1t is easy to imagine how fifteen or
twenty scholars can make the air hum.
Outside of school hours these little
ones have plenty to occupy their time
The girls do not go to school They
are supposed to have no need of an
education. Their energies are confined
to tending the baby at home, or assist
ing the mother in the care of her
house, or else to whatever can be found
in the way of amusement in the streets.
The play-time of the girls is a short
one, for at the age of ten to twelve
they are considered manageable, and
must then be confined in the women's
quarters, and thencaforward their view
of the world is from a little window
with square inch or so of glass in it,
or else from under the collar of the
coat, worn as a veil over the head,
which they wear whenever they go into
the streets. The babies are cared for
In much the same way as those in
Japan, tied on the backs of the older
children, who play about the cutters
or where their fancy takes them, in
happy Indifference to the load they
carry. Thus tied on, the babies sleep
or cry or laugh, with but little atten-
ton from the older children carrying
them around. ItsiG not at all unusual
to see o boy flying kite while the
baby on his back gazes at the bright
thing in the air, or sleeps with it's little
head thrown back to a position where
dislocation of the neck seems immi-
nent.
By far the most popular amusement
is that of flying kites. To fly the
Korean kite involves an amount of
skill far exceeding that called for by
the American species. The name
given them is "yun," and the things
themselves are of peculiar construc-
ton. They are nearly square, con-
structed of very light pieces of wood
or bamboo, covered with tough paper,
with hole left in the center, and con-
nected with the line by three pieces of
string joined to the sides near the top
and to the center of the bottom. It
requires a nice degree of skill and
practice so to attach the line as to
make the kite fly. The kite commonly
has no tail, and hence is very unsteady
in its movements.
CAPT. W. d. FITCH, of Williams
burg, s. c., has pocket-knife which
was found in the gizzard of large |
turkey gobbler killed at his place. The
knife is three and a half inches long
and about the size of an ordinary knife.
The handle is made of dark-colored |
horn, and trimmed with bright metal
at each end, which no doubt caused the
turkey to take it for some kind of an
insect. The handle of the knife shows
signs of having been wasted, by diges-
ton. The turkey was healthy and fat.
Capt. Fitch's mother lost the knife.
1t is curious how such large, hard in
strument could be swallowed by tur-
key, and how it could survive with it |
in its gizzard.
THE King of Holland has remarka-